downtown revitalization

Amid the dust and slow moving construction equipment, downtown Lafayette visitors will see bright orange and blue signs emblazoned with the message “Open For Business.”

It's the heart of a city-led marketing campaign to keep customers and merchants informed -- and concerns to a minimum -- as crews widen sidewalks and install decorative lighting, planters and other amenities on sections of Main Street.

Lafayette and West Lafayette recently signed a proclamation decrying domestic violence. But what I want to know is what the city is actually doing – what resources are you investing to reduce the incidence of it?

What's the latest is on the talks to create the one-stop center for social services that was mentioned a few months ago. Is that any closer to fruition?

The City of Monticello is hiring a consultant to help implement its downtown revitalization.

Mayor Ken Houston says the plan was approved three years ago, but has been largely ignored. He says after taking office this year, he realized there was still interest in putting the ideas into action.

"We have been talking about it for quite sometime. We had the tornado years back and a lot of things happened in downtown Monticello since then - changes in the economy and storefronts - things like that. People want to see some activity there and things going on.”